Holiday flats plan for closed hotel

A seafront hotel which has been closed for several months could have a new lease of life as holiday flats.

Developers want to convert the Heatherleigh Hotel in to 12 holiday flats and 16 normal flats and have applied to Eastbournbe Borough Council’s planing department for change of use permission.

Council planners are recommending the scheme be given the go ahead when councillors meet on Tuesday night.

A planning spokesperson said, “The site has been vacant for a significant period of time and as such has not made a contribution to the available holiday accommodation with the tourist accommodation

“The scheme proposes the reuse of a vacant hotel within the tourist accommodation zone into a mix of holiday flats and residential apartments for open sale or let.

“It is considered the proposal has satisfactorily demonstrated the hotel in its current form is redundant and unviable and the split use for/as holiday lets supported by an existing ‘parent’ hotel and open use residential accommodation is considered to be appropriate and acceptable.”

The council’s tourism officer and Eastbourne Hospitality Association believes that if Eastbourne is to prosper then there needs to be a refocus in the type and nature of the accommodation that is provided.

A decision will be made on Tuesday.

Don’t miss out on all the latest breaking news where you live.

Here are four ways you can be sure you’ll be amongst the first to know what’s going on.

1 Make our website your homepage at www.eastbourneherald.co.uk

2 Like our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/eastbourne.herald

3 Follow us on Twitter @Eastbournenews

4 Register with us by clicking on ‘sign in’ (top right corner). You can then receive our daily newsletter AND add your point of view to stories that you read here.